We all love our stews. It’s a rustic dish that might not win 10 points for presentation, but when done with love, you know every mouthful is going to be heaven. This is especially the case for the Sancocho. Not only will it hit you in the right spot, but this Caribbean stew is going to make you feel like you’re on vacation, away from all your stress.
What is in a Sancocho stew?
If you’re a fan of stew, you’ll know that the base of it is pretty simple: a great broth with high protein and vegetables. But the Sancocho brings to the table Caribbean flavours unique from any other.
Making the Sancocho requires a lot of essential components. This includes different parts of beef with traditional Latin American ingredients, such as Plantain, yucca and yautia. It usually also contains corn and carrots. People typically serve this dish with a side of rice and avocado for family gatherings and special occasions.
The History And Origins
Also known as the seven meat stew, the Sancocho originated from the Spanish Canary Islands.
The original recipe started as a fish-stew soup. However, when the Canary Islanders immigrated to Latin America, they brought Sancocho to the Caribbean islands with them. The recipe then began to travel to different parts of Latin America. Such as Ecuador, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
As it went, the recipe evolved from being a fish-stew to a meat stew. This was because meat was far more readily available to other Latin countries than fish were.
Over time, Sanchocho eventually became a native dish to most Central American countries. As you travel to the different countries of Latin America, you will see how the recipe has evolved with each culture.
In the Dominican Republic, they make one of the most famous Sancocho recipes using seven different types of meat cooked together. This includes pork, beef, goat, lamb and chicken. In Venezuela, they prepare the Sancocho with beef stomach and shank. In Ecuador, people often prepare the Sancocho, also known as Fritada, with pork while the people in Peru make their Soncocho with meat chunks.
The Health Nutrition of Sancocho
There’s an excellent reason why Sancocho is a native dish to most Latin American countries, and it’s not just because they use easy to get ingredients. The fact that it uses different kinds of meat makes it a good source of protein that is needed to build and repair muscles.
Plantain, a common ingredient in Sancocho, is also rich in Vitamin A, C and B6. Vitamin C is essential to help our body tissue repair itself while Vitamin B6 is vital in helping us fight against quick ageing. People also believe plantain to be good for weight loss.
Where Can You Get It In Malaysia?
Unfortunately, there aren’t as many restaurants in KL that serve Sancocho stew. However, La Boca Latino Bar in Pavilion Mall is an excellent place to start if you’re looking for Central American cuisine. And if you’re lucky, you might even be able to get Sancochos in store.
But if you’re interested in having general Central American cuisine for dinner, why not visit foodpanda and pick up a dish from a restaurant with the app instead? There’s always something for everyone on foodpanda.
